This invention relates to a method of automatically making a copy of an original document recorded on two leaves spread side-by-side such as a book, in the use of a copying apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying apparatus, and the apparatus for use in such method.
In order that some consecutive pages of a book-like original may be copied by making use of a conventional type copying apparatus in such a manner that two pages of the book spread side-by-side may be copied at a time and then after turning over one of the pages of the original, the rear page thereof and the next page thereto may successively be copied together and tne resulting copied copy paper may be put in order of the pages. it is required to cut in half every copy paper made thereon a copy of every two pages and to put them in order of the pages again. Particularly. it will require much time and labor to make copies of a great number of original documents in succession and to cut a great number of the copy paper to put them in order to the pages. There may also be some instances where the pages may possibly put in disorder and resultantly the documents may be wrongly filed.
With the purpose of avoiding the above-mentioned disadvantage, there has been proposed such a method that the one side of a book-like original is copied by placing it in the fixed position on the original glass plate of a copying apparatus, and another side thereof is copied by following the same way again. This method will also require much time and labor, because the frequency of handling the original is increased.
Now, in the case that an original document is printed on both sides of every leaf, as is similar to the pages of tne ordinary type of books, how to make the duplex copies of such consecutive pages is that;
(1) a book is opened and the first page of the original document to be copied is placed in the fixed position on an original glass plate, PA1 (2) the copy is made on one side of the first copy paper in the initial copying cycle, PA1 (3) next, the second page of the original is placed in the above-mentioned fixed position on the original glass plate. In the course of this time, the first copy paper is reversed and is then transported to stand by in a paper feed position, PA1 (4) in the second copy cycle, the first copy paper is copied on the rear side thereof and is then delivered from the apparatus, and PA1 (5) in succession, the above-mentioned first and second cycles are repeated to make copies of the third and subsequent pages.
As in the above-mentioned steps. a half portion of the original glass plate is set as the fixed area and each page of the original document is placed therein one after another to start the respective copying operation.
In the cases as mentioned above, a two-page-spread-original such as a book placed on an original glass plate should be moved to the fixed position every time when each page is copied.
Generally speaking, as shown in FIG. 4, there are two types of books, i.e, one is of the left-opened type and another is of the right-opened type. In either types, it is common that the front surface of every leaf is put with an odd pagination and the rear surface thereof is put with an even pagination.
On the other hand, when having made a copy with a copying apparatus, it has so far been carried out in most cases by one-side copying methods by reasons of the complicated operation. maintaining of orderly pagination, intricacy in the apparatuses, large-sized apparatuses and the like. Accordingly, there are demands for a duplex copying system from the viewpoint of the economization of transfer paper, space shortage for storing records, or the format and weight of a book to be copied, and the like. There have already been proposed a number of duplex copying apparatuses. For example, there have been proposed those described in Japanese patent O.P.I. Publication No. 137341/1977 and the like, and further, another duplex copying operations may be referred to Japanese patent application No. 85103/1983 and the like.
As an example of the image transfer type copying apparatus capable of duplex copying. there are put in practical use such a system that an ordinary copying operation is made over one side of copy paper and the copy paper completed thereon the copying operation is introduced into the original or the 2nd paper feed unit again and is then reversed and fed again to the copying apparatus so as to make a copy on the surface of the copy paper as was made on the front surface.
As for the method of duplex copying a book, such as described above, the method disclosed in Japanese patent 0.P.I. publication No. 36951/1076 is well-known. However, this method has such a disadvantage that a book original should be placed up-side-down depending on whether tne book is of the left-opened type or of the right-opened type, because it is required that the original glass plate surface is to be divided into two portions so that the original in a desired copying size should be placed on the corresponding divided portion of the original glass plate.
This invention is proposed by taking the above-mentioned circumstances into consideration. When making duplex copies of consecutive originals recorded on the both sides of every leaf such as a book-like original, there are apt to cause troubles and errors in copying operation if taking such a method that copy is made by moving every page of the original. In every daily life, there are used either of the left-opened and right-opened books. It will therefore cause an operator an error to selectively place a book in order or upside down so as to correspond to the left- or right-opened type of book.